A good music is an accompaniment of many musical instruments playing in unison, producing an enchanting musical sound. We have seen music grow and develop from time to time. Music had been there in the early lives, but it is very much different from our modern music. When we talk about music, musical instrument is a part of it. “A musical instrument is an instrument created to make musical sounds”. So in a simple explanation, any thing or any object that creates or produces sound can be a musical instrument. In early years, men used musical instruments while performing rituals or any religious ceremony. The date and origin of the first musical instrument is hard to say, but scholars believed that musical instruments like a simple flute are the first to be used. This topic is disputed and hard to prove because early musical instruments were made of bones, woods, animal skins, etc. which are non-durable.

Discussing and debating on the date and origin of musical instruments are not that necessary. All we know is that it had been there and it is all that matters. From time to time generation to generation, music had evolved; so did musical instruments have. Starting from a simple flute or a one stringed musical instrument, today we see hundreds and thousands of different musical instruments today. Music and musical instruments grow hand in hand; one cannot grow without the other. Music had evolved from time to time and today we see or find many music genres different from each other. Examples are like Rock, Pop, Alternative, Country, Classical, R&B and many more. These genres are again divided into numbers of sub-genres. Each genre is different from each other in one way or the other; so does their music is. A musical instrument defines each music genre and differentiates it from others. It can be said that musical instruments are the backbone of any music genre.

Important and Popular Musical Instruments of Today

Of the many musical instruments available today, some of them are very important and bands or artists cannot survive or become successful without them. Mentioned below are the most important musical instruments in every music genre.

ElectricGuitar

Electric guitar was first invented in the year 1931. It is a musical instruments with strings attached to produce musical sounds. But unlike hollow guitars, electric guitar converts the vibration of its strings into electric impulses using a pickup. The sound signal generated by it is amplified; and the sound signal may be easily altered using effects such as distortion and reverb. This electric musical instrument is capable of multitude of sounds and styles; allowing the artist to produce music of any kind. An electric guitar became a necessity for a band; to amplify the sound and get the crowd’s attention. During the 1950s and 1960s, electric guitar is widely used and plays an important role in many music genres including Rock and Roll, Pop, etc. Electric guitars are modified and newer models are manufactured from time to time. Electric guitar can be used as the main rhythm guitar for giving the right chords or it can be used as a lead guitar for performing guitar solos or perform a melodic lines.

Drum

Drum is another musical instrument that has a rich history and its origin dates back to the early days. A membrane or what we call drumhead or drumskin is stretched over a shell; and when struck with either the players own hand or drum sticks, it produces sound. Drums are modified and developed from time to time and now we have a set of drums that produces different sounds, which is played by just one person. Drum is an important musical instrument as it leads and maintains the rhythm throughout the song. Drums are used by all music genres but music genres like rock, alternative, hard punk, pop, etc cannot survive without it.

Bass Guitar

A bass guitar is also a stringed musical instrument that is very similar with an electric guitar. A bass guitar has 4 to 5 strings; the most common one being the 4 stringed bass guitar. A bass guitar produces a low musical sound (one octave lower than the four lowest pitched strings of a guitar). Just like an electric guitar, it uses an electric pickup and is plugged into an amplifier and speaker to produce musical sound. The role of bass guitar in the field of music is very important as it sets up the harmonic framework and establishes the beat. Bass lays down rhythm and establishes the chord progressions that the whole song is built on. Bass guitar is an essential musical instrument in every genre like rock, pop, punk, metal, country, blues, jazz, and many more.

Piano

A piano is another important musical instrument. The original grand piano has a row of 88 black and white keys and is generally not portable. Pressing each key produces different sounds. Now we find piano of different kinds and designs. It is classified into electric, electronic and digital pianos. This instrument is widely used in classical and jazz music; apart from using it on many other music genres. It can be used in many different ways like giving a solo performance, chamber music, leading the choir, music accompaniment in any song, for composing song or rehearsal, etc. It is a good musical instrument as you can play any song you like on the piano and it has many features in store for you. It provides a good musical background, lifts the harmony and helps express the music in a better way. It is an important instrument in all music genres.

Acoustic Guitar

Acoustic guitar is the simplest form and commonly used musical instrument of modern time, perhaps an upgrade from Tingteila (music instrument) of the Naga tribe, but indeed very basic . It is a stringed instrument that has generally 6 strings. Unlike electric guitar, it uses only acoustic means to produce musical sound. The main source of the sound comes from the string. The sound waves produced by the string are directed through the body of the guitar to produce or create louder sound. This instrument needs no amplification; it produces the music on its own. It generally has a hollow body for better and louder sound production. Acoustic guitars are of many designs and today we find acoustic guitar that can be amplified by using pickup or microphone. Since acoustic guitar usually produces sound on its own, the sound is original without any distortions. It fits gracefully and adds harmony with any music genre adding rhythm to any song. It can be a useful musical instrument in any music genre.

There are a whole lot of musical instruments available today. Music is a very vast subject and so it gave rise to numbers of music genre. Each genre has their different styles of music, rhythm, singing style, etc. This again gave rise to the invention or modification of many musical instruments. Musical instruments will grow when music grow and vice versa. Other popular and important musical instruments will include violin, trumpet, flute, banjo, harmonica, saxophone, clarinet, and many more.

The advancement in technology has enabled us to choose a wide range of cooktops like induction, gas and electric cooktops depending on the users’ preference. But unfortunately, induction cooktop has outshined the conventional electric and gas cooktops for various reasons.

Who is not concern about safety in one’s kitchen? Obviously there’s none who’s not concern about it. The induction cooktops are safe for your kitchen because it does not generate heat. It works on the principle of electromagnetism with ferromagnetic pots or pans, which mean you, are safe to touch the cooktop even if the power is on, but not just after the cooking is done as there might be residual heat for some time. Kitchen accidents are very common with naughty children but with induction cooktops at your home, you need not have the tension. While reading some cooktop reviews safety is always the primary concern. The best induction cooktop in the market will have more such safety features for safe cooking.

There are many people who complain about the difficulties in using complicated cooktops but not induction cooktops. The induction cooktops come with LED light buttons for setting different time and temperature for ease of use. Once the timer and the temperature are set, you can just relax until it stops automatically. There is no cooktops of other varieties which offers this much of advantage in your kitchen.

When it comes to cleaning, the smooth glass top is far easier to clean than stainless steel or other metals. You don’t have to waste your precious time cleaning your cooktop in the kitchen anymore with induction cooktops. It’s simply effortless to clean in a few minutes.

Induction cooktops are power efficient. The advantage of induction cooktop is that you save a lot of money out of the electric bill.

Induction cooktops are known for its high speed in heating up the pots. The use of induction coktops save our most valuable time. Modern people live in rush hours and so every passing minute should not be wasted so easily. If you use induction, you will save half of the time you cook with other cooktops.

Precise temperature control is a special feature of induction cooktop. Most of the conventional cooktops don’t come with this feature which is why; it is preferred by most people. The secret of better taste lies in precise temperature control while you cook.

Induction cooktops look smooth and clean in appearance. The neat and tidy design blended with modern technology makes induction cooktop a favorite of many people. Moreover, it comes in a wide range of price for the buyers to choose depending on the needs and requirement of the individual.

Apple had been producing the coolest iPod models in the recent years. It is true and we are now aware that the introduction of smartphones had hindered the demand for iPod. Nonetheless, there are still a number of iPod fans out there; who chose iPod to be their favorite music player. If you are a music lover, I believe you would rely on good iPod even if you have iPhone or a good smartphone. Designed and produced just to quench your thirst for music, iPod has its own purpose and clear advantages; when it comes to music player. Your smartphone may come equipped with music player, but generally it is not made for listening music; you can use your phone for many other useful purposes. If you are someone who loves music and listens to it most of the time, iPod is made for you. It will play you good music from morning to afternoon to midnight; anytime anywhere.

Buying an iPod is not only a concern of looks and price. But most importantly, you have to understand your needs and see how you are going to use it. After deciding on this, you can choose from the many brands available; and be satisfied with the result. iPod or MP3 Player are of many designs and differ in their features as well. Some models are cheap and simple in design and you can’t do anything more than listening music with it. Some low cost models do not even come with a display screen. These kinds of models may give you extra features such as FM radio, external SD card slot, etc. There are also models that are costly and come with many exiting great features of modern technology. Costly iPod gives you the best audio sound quality and with it you can do so many other things. Features like Wi-Fi connection, picture viewing, watching video, gamming, etc. are some of the great features of costly ones.

Which iPod are you looking for?

As hinted above, iPod are of different kinds to meet the needs of different users. Some iPods are designed solely for playing music, some are more advanced and will let you play games, watch video, etc. Some models even have Wi-Fi connectivity for streaming and downloading songs. Following are the different models of Apple iPod at different price range that you can choose from.

iPod Shuffle

4th Generation iPod Shuffle is the smallest of the iPod family. The dimension of the unit is only 2.9 x 3.2 cm. weighing only 12.5 g. If you are looking for an iPod only for playing music and nothing else, this can be your favourite MP3 player. The small size design enables you to carry it around freely and comfortably. You can easily conceal the iPod if you want to. This is also the best model if you plan on taking it to gym or while jogging at the morning, afternoon work or bedtime listening. It has a clipper attached that clips to your clothes firmly while at the gym or working out. This iPod is cheap that it is available only at $48. Its downsides are that it does not have a display screen and the memory storage is limited to 2 GB. This means that you would not be able to choose and select the song that you want to play; you have to shuffle through the library. To compensate for the loss of screen, it features a VoiceOver function that announces the track, artist and playlist when you play the song. This cheap and cool iPod is available in five different colors.

Apple iPod Nano 16 GB Music Player

7th Generation iPod Nano has become very popular and a favorite music player for many. This ultra-portable iPod has a 2.5 inches touch screen display that makes browsing your music, picture and video a breeze. Of course there is no Wi-Fi connection so you are not connected to the internet. But it gives you rich features like Bluetooth 4.0, FM radio, 16 GB storage space, 30 hours playtime, etc. This iPod has a built-in pedometer for fitness and a built-in Nike+ support. This cool iPod weighs only 31g and so you can carry around with you every time (even though there is no clipper like the old version). The Bluetooth feature is a big advantage as sharing music is very simple and you can connect your device to any Bluetooth speaker. This model looks attractive and appeals our sight with its different colors. It gives you the best user interface with its simple design and easy operation. This model is only 5.4 mm thin and earns the title thinnest iPod ever. You will still find the VoiceOver function on this model. This popular iPod is available at a handsome price of $149.

iPod Classic

This model from Apple has one thing that no other iPod will give you. It gives you a staggering internal storage space of 160 GB. This model is made for those who want to enjoy their whole music collection and take it with them wherever they go. With 160 GB of internal storage, what you can store is limitless. This iPod can store like 40,000 songs, 25,000 pictures and like 200 hours of video. The 160 GB hard drive made this model heavier than other iPods. This model will give you a good user interface and plays music of most of the formats available. It comes with a 2.5 inches screen with LED display that makes choosing your playlists or songs very easy. This model from Apple is costly. Its current market price is $249. If you are someone who looks for the cutting-edge technology, you might not want this model. This model is also unfavorable if you want to stream internet, take video or play games. For those who has large music collection and want to carry all their important files most of the time, this model is the right choice.

iPod Touch

Apple iPod Touch is the most popular and the most advanced model at the current market. This ‘coolest of the cools’ iPod is available in different attractive colors and the price may vary according to the storage space. The minimum internal storage space starts with 16 GB to 32 GB to 64 GB; and the starting price is $187 to $399. Being the most advanced and the smartest of all, there are many advantages and merits and best of features. Apart from the large memory space, this model has a 4 inches retina display screen. This iPod is not just an MP3 player, but rather a device that lets you do everything you want. This is made possible with the Wi-Fi connectivity. You can connect to internet through Wi-Fi and browse web, stream live video, download songs and contends from iTunes, etc. You have access to unlimited apps through Apps Store. One cool feature is the 5 MP iSight camera it carries. It lets you capture every moment and even supports HD video recording. The latest model features the Apple A5 Chip for smooth and faster functioning of the device. The battery life is also outstanding giving you 40 hours of music playback and 8 hours of video playback. You can play music, browse web, play games, take pictures and videos, even send text message over Wi-Fi, and do many more with this iPod. This model has become the most popular MP3 player for its many benefits and advantages. Truly this is the model if you want the latest and the greatest iPod at the market today.

MP3 player has been there at the market for a while now. With the introduction of smartphones at the market, the demand for MP3 player decreased in the recent years. This is because most of the smartphones come equipped with MP3 player that plays good music. However, MP3 player has its own distinct advantages and its own purposes; there are still numbers of hot selling MP3 player at the market that gives you many good features. It works as a replacement music player for our bigger sound system; and has been a favorite device for many. An MP3 player is the best music player that you can take with on your morning exercise, afternoon workouts and bedtime listening. As small as the size of a matchbox, it gives you unlimited music; allowing you to listen to your favorite playlist anytime you want.

Today you will find a number of MP3 players at the market at varying price and designs. If you are looking to buy MP3 player today, here are some few important MP3 player buying tips for you. Before purchasing any model, first check out the format of your music collection. Some device may not support all music format, which means that you cannot play songs if it is in different format. For e.g. songs downloaded from iTunes will have AAC files instead of MP3 files. There are also audiobook formats such as Audible and Overdrive, etc. Go for the device that supports different formats so that you can play all your music collection. Mentioned following are some of the reliable and good MP3 players taking into account the user’s review and expert’s analysis.

SanDisk Sansa Clip+ 4GB MP3 Player

SanDisk Sansa Clip+ is exactly what everyone expects an MP3 player to be. As tiny as it is, it comes packed with stunning audio sound quality and 4GB storage space. You can store up to 1000 songs in this tiny player and the best part is that it comes with an expandable memory card slot. The memory card slot lets you play pre-loaded songs from micro SD, micro SDHC and Radio Cards from audio library. Other outstanding features of this cool gadget are the integrated FM radio, AUX In port, voice recorder and a powerful battery backup. Apart from giving you a rich distinct sound favourable for all music genre of your choice, this player has an integrated clipper that clips firmly for easy and hands-free operation to meet your active lifestyle. With the FM radio you get access to 40 channels including sports, news, radio talk, favorite music stations, etc. The battery is pretty powerful that it runs up to 15 hours. This model is easy to operate with an easy to read OLED screen and simple buttons to navigate and choose songs or playlist easily. In the box you will find the Sansa Clip+ MP3 player, earphone, USB 2.0 cable, guide book and a CD. It is available in different color and backed by limited one year warranty. It is available at an affordable price of $37.49 at Amazon.

SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip 4GB MP3 Player

This model is an upgrade of its predecessor- the Sansa Clip+. However, SanDisk has added a variety of attractive colors and remodeled it with a larger full color screen. The starting price of this upgraded model is $54 for 4GB storage space, $65 for 8GB storage. In design, this model has a resemblance of its predecessor; with a four-way navigation button and a back button above it. On its side, you will see a USB port, 3.5 mm Jack, a memory card slot and a volume up and down button. The back side has a built-in clipper for hands-free work-out and through the external SD card slot supports up to 32GB. This means that you can store hundreds of your favorite music. The standout feature of this model is the improved OLED full color screen. Still it does not support viewing photos or videos, but with the larger and full color screen, it displays information much better than the limited screen of previous model; also enhancing its looks. One good thing about this model is that it is compatible with a variety of music formats. At a low price, you can play all your favorite songs of different formats like MP3, DRM-WMA, WMA, FLAC, Audiobooks plus AAC compatible. Other attractive features are like integrated FM radio, a voice recorded and a stopwatch to time your workouts. This is a perfect piece for active joggers, those who work out at gym, active music listeners. Overall, this model is a good product and a good value for money.

Sony NWZ-A17 Walkman

Sony has found the way to reinvent portable MP3 player through its latest production- the NWZ-A17 Walkman. The one thing people love most about Sony music player is the authentic sound quality. It produces the best of sounds for pleasing result and this model is truly one of its kinds. This model from Sony produces a High Resolution audio sound that makes listening music all the more pleasing. Priced at below $300, it has got the looks and the best features MP3 players can offer you. It comes with a storage space of 64 GB and the memory card slot lets you expand up to 128 GB. It has a large screen of 2.25 “ QVGA anti reflective LED display that makes searching and choosing your song a breeze. This High Resolution Audio Digital MP3 player can support can support a variety of format including MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, AIFF, WAV, ALAC, etc. for sublime audio experience. As a costly device, it absolutely comes with many other high-end features. It has the most powerful battery life of up to 50 hours. With music playing at regular intervals, the battery is pretty impressive with a playtime of 30 hours. This model also supports Bluetooth audio streaming and NFC connection. With Bluetooth and NFC connection, you can pair it with any external Bluetooth speaker. It also has an integrated FM radio. One downside of this costly device is that there is no Wi-Fi or internet connectivity, which means there will be no streaming. If you are looking for a high end MP3 player with the best audio sound quality; and if money is not an issue, this is the right model for you.

Sony NWZ-270 Walkman Sports MP3 Player

Sony is all set to release one of its new MP3 player – NWZ-270 Walkman Sports in March priced at $99.99. It is an all in one music player with a waterproof design. Sports person and those who don’t feel comfortable with the wired headphone may rejoice in this device. It stays fixed in your head and yes you can put this on and enjoy swimming. It provides you with 4 GB of storage space and is available in four different colors. The battery life is also commendable as it gives you playtime of 8 hours. Sony made it official that the battery recharges quickly; quick recharge of 5 minutes will give you 60 minutes of playback. How cool is that? As specially designed for sportsperson, this MP3 player is simply an MP3 player; nothing more than that. It does not come with packed features like the normal/general MP3 player.

There are a whole lot of other MP3 players at the market to choose from. The demand for portable music player may have decreased in the recent years, yet there are many people out there who depend or rely on MP3 player to satisfy their thirst for music.

Portable MP3 player is a favorite gadget for those who want to carry music most of the time. It is true that there are plenty of other music player and stereo sound system; but for personal convenience and maximum satisfaction, nothing can beat the specially designed iPod or MP3 player. Most of the hot selling MP3 players are designed in a matchbox size and come with more than enough memory space (you can upgrade the storage space through the SD card slot). Especially designed to satisfy your ear with good music, iPod or MP3 player will give you the best music listening experience. For many of us, music has become a part of our daily lives and we are closely attached with it. We wake up to the sound of music and listen to it through afternoon to night. It makes our day cheerful and lively.

Now, the question is- What are the types of MP3 player available and how to choose the right one? This is very important because knowing this will give you a satisfying result in the end. Mp3/iPod is available in different designs and the price starts from cheap ones to the costly ones. But mind you, buying an iPod or Mp3 player is not only about price and design. Instead, the first thing you need to decide is how do you want to use it or other things like whether you want it just for playing music or other extra features like playing games, watching video, surfing web, etc. After you decide on this important factor, you can choose the brand or model that can serve your purpose. Following are some useful points that will help you make the right decision while buying an iPod/MP3 player.

iPod/MP3 Choosing Tips

The following lines are for both starters as well as those who are familiar with this cool gadget; to let you know each and every detail and keep you updated with the latest invention and technology.

iPod/MP3 player for Music

These types of MP3 player or iPod are the cheap ones that is solely designed and produced for listening music. They are generally smallest in size and lightest in weight. If you are looking for the cheaper ones and only for audio listening purpose, this type of model will be your choice. Since this kind of audio player is very portable, it is best for using at gym, morning jogging, afternoon work, bedtime listening, etc. Some device may come with a small screen to help you navigate or choose the playlist or song, while some may not even have a screen. The internal storage space starts from minimum 2GB (but you can extend it through the external SD card slot). Since the screen is small or they don’t have it, the battery last for longer time. Some good devices under this category are like iPod Shuffle, SanDisk MP3 player, etc. The cheap ones start from US $30 to $50.

MP3 Player/iPod for Music-Game-Video

Some iPods can give you so much more than just listening music. Not only Apple’s iPod, but MP3 players from big brands like Sony and Samsung produce very much advanced models that have many exiting features. In case you want to do something more like playing games, watching movie, etc. from your portable music player, you have plenty models to choose from. This kind of portable music player is costly but is the best choice for those who want to taste the latest of modern gadgets. Normally this kind of player comes with a bigger internal memory chip to suit your demands and have external memory slot. With such models, you can get stereo audio sound quality plus play games, watch video, view picture, etc. Some high end models even comes with integrated camera for taking pictures and even supports HD video recording. You can choose from iPod collections like iPod Touch, iPod Nano, Ipod Classic and advanced models from Sony, Samsung, etc.

MP3 player/iPod for Web Browsing

This category will give you the best user interface and comes equipped with the coolest of features. Wi-Fi connectivity in portable music player is the latest and the most advanced feature. Through Wi-Fi, you can connect to internet and surf the web. This feature gives you access to unlimited apps through the App Store, download songs from iTunes and do many other things. Ipod Touch is one good example of this type of player. It is the most popular and the smartest iPod at the present market. With this kind of player in your pocket, what you can do seems limitless. As it gives you the best of features, this type of portable player is obviously costlier. It can do exactly what high end smartphones can do, except making a phone call.

The great ancestors of the Nagas were very fond of music as evident from the folk music we have until today. The Naga Folk songs are very simple yet, complicated but one does not need to know the tunes, tones, beatings and timings like those that we have in modern music. It is among the unique music of the world.

Primary Reasons for the Existence of Naga Folk Songs

From the very beginning, Nagas were very fond of music. They did not have the knowledge of paper and dogs ate their script written on the hides of animal. In order to preserve the culture, tradition and history of the Nagas, they composed folksongs in order to remember any major incidents that happened in their life. There were no written records about it; but one can ascertain the fact from the folk songs of the ancestors.

Does Folk Music of the Nagas Revolves Around Any Theme?

The theme of Nagas’ folk songs revolves around everyday life events. It included praise and remembrance of war heroes, celebrations of victories in the war, description of seasonal activities such as seed sowing, harvesting, transplantation, weeding etc. and events related to tragic love stories. Folk songs were the only source of record available for the young Naga generation because there were no written records available at that time. The Nagas’ oral tradition still keeps the Nagas’ culture alive through folksongs.

Important Instruments Used in Singing Naga Folksongs

The Nagas used various simple music instruments like a single stringed instrument called tingteila in Tangkhul Naga dialect. As Nagas are of various tribes, it is known by different names in different dialects. It is made of a dried gourd as the box and the long hair of a horse’s tail as the string. The bladder of pigs covered the entire gourd for clarity of the sound.

The Nagas also used flute, which is made of bamboo with seven holes. For blowing air with the mouth, they drilled a hole close to the bottom end and the remaining six holes are located close to each other for the fingers to produce different sound.

The Tangkhul Nagas’ Talla, which was used as trumpets were made of animals’ horns or a particular plant with soft tissues in it. They used some other instruments made of bamboos as well and they know it in different names in their own dialects.

Hollow wooden drums carved with hides of animals were also used as an instrument to compliment folk music of the Nagas.

How important was Folk Music to the Nagas?

The Nagas had recently used written records for preserving the history of the Nagas. The rich cultural heritage, traditions and customs of the Nagas comes from folk music. The successes and failures, prosperity and poverty, happiness and adversities, romance and any events, which happened to them in their daily lives, were narrated to the younger generations in the form of music and this passed on from one generation to another generation. There are various folk music, which describes different activities in agricultural practices like songs accompanying reaping activities, harvesting etc. to mention a few.

The Nagas sang folk songs on festive and religious occasions in synchronize manners by both men and women with beautiful traditional attires.

How Did the Fade of Naga Folk Songs come into being?

When the western missionaries came to the land of the Nagas, Christianity was widespread and as such, the missionaries did not allow them to sing folk songs because they thought folk songs were about worshiping the spirit. Since then, folk songs gradually disappear from the land of the Nagas and hymnal songs were in vogue. Of late, western music like rock, pop, rap and classical music is quite prevalent among the youngsters.

Revival of Naga Folk Song

Very few Naga artists came to realize the need of reviving the traditional folk songs of the Nagas. The importance lies in the fact that the entire history of the Nagas lies in the folksongs and folklores of the Nagas, which describes everyday incidents of the past. Exceptionally few artists started in depth research about the past by visiting various remote villages and interacted with old people in order to know more about the folk songs. Mention may be made of Guru Rewben Mashangva, a Tangkhul artist, also known as the father of Naga folk blues and Tetseo Sisters of Nagaland state who are revivalists of Naga folk songs in both the state and other parts of the region. Now, more and more youngsters have come to join in the mainstream for reviving folksongs to preserve the tradition, customs and history of the Nagas as a whole.

Final Words

The Nagas who were once a head hunter and known for their valor in wars were also fond of music. They were honest people with strong likings for fun and sports as well. For the Nagas, music was the best form of history. The Morung was the best place for the young Nagas to learn music, art, handicrafts and folklores of their great ancestors. The advent of western music and music gadgets has deeply influenced the Naga society and it was so deep rooted that it will take years to revive in its full form. However, with the initiative of some learned and dedicated Naga artists, efforts to bring alive the unique Naga folksongs will be a reality one day.

‘Music’ is a universal ‘Soulmate’. It plays a vital role in everyone’s life. In fact, it has become closely associated with every individual’s life that we find music everywhere we go. As for me, I can’t imagine a day without music. I wake up to the music from my favorite playlist and my day ends with good music soothing my ears. Every one of us loves music for the one thing only music can give to us. It has the ability to bind our heart, mind and soul at a time, which no other art can do. One good thing about music is that it normally speaks about mankind- about us. Play a random song from your playlist and it will take you back to the past memories- the good ones and the bad ones. When we are stressed, we turn to music for relieve, when we are feeling low music can give solace to us, when we are ready for celebration music is there to add cheers and fun. The list will go on and on; which let us realize that music is very much related with our daily lives.

Music has been present in our live since time immemorial. We have heard many stories about musicians and singers performing on grand occasion. However, music had been developing and evolving from time to time. During ancient time, musicians used a one stringed musical instrument and sung in their own style with no musical rules or judgment. Today we see hundreds of musical instruments and hundreds of music genres which is different from each other. Of the many music genres the world had produced today, we do have our likes and dislikes. This raised the question- what is your favorite music genre? Like in other arts as well; when it comes to music, we do have our different taste. You might love rock or heavy metal but I have more passion for pop and country over rock and roll. Just like that, everyone has their own choice of music. So, which is your favorite band? Or which musical genres do you love most? To answer confidently and make your point, here is a classification of some popular music genres of today.

Different Music Genres and Its Classification

It is said that the subject of music is very vast and literally one could never become a master in this subject. It is a life-long learning process and from time to time a new musical genre makes its way. Here are some of the musical genres that have caught many people’s attention and have become the favorite for many.

Rock

‘Rock’ is a very popular and a favorite music genre for many. We see the origin and presence of rock genre in 1940s and 1950s. Since then, it has evolved and expanded and today we see many lists under this heading. Rock is a form of music that combines loud music accompanying drums, guitars, piano, bass, etc. producing a catchy melody. Rock and Roll is a popular heading under this title, which was very popular since late 50s and still highly praised by the public. It is classified from other genres with its strong back beat, high notes and dependency on guitar. Bass, guitar, drum and piano along with other musical instruments plays a vital role in Rock Genre. Classification of Rock Genre may include such as Rock and Roll, folk rock, blues rock, soft rock, heavy metal, punk rock, hard rock and many more.

Alternative

This is another music genre that has become very popular during the late 80s. And this genre is one of the fastest growing genres with an open platform for any artist. The name ‘alternative’ was given in the 1980s to describe the bands that did not fit in the mainstream genres available at that time. Those bands or musician were on independent record labels and this genre is said to be inspired by style and ethos of ‘punk’. In the early 90s, alternative rock had its full growth and many bands of this musical genre became successful. This genre had also been modified and evolving from time to time. Classification of this genre would include art punk, alternative rock, grunge, hardcore punk, punk, progressive rock, etc.

Pop

Music is very vast that its classification goes on and on. Its diverse musical style gave rise to another music genre which is called Pop. Pop is a short form for popular music. Pop genre is characterized by sweet and soft music, has a catchy lines, generic melodies and the lyrics are easy to understand. It has its root in the late 50s; a classification from Rock and Roll. It also uses drums, bass, guitar, piano, etc to produce a catchy sound including country, latin, rock, dance, urban, etc. Example of this music genre will include bands and artists like One Direction, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, Kesha and others.

Country Music

This music genre was originated in Southern United States in Atlanta, Georgia in the 1920s. This music genre often consists of ballads and dance tunes with soothing music that is soft and sweet. The music is plain and simple in this genre. Stringed instruments like banjos, electric guitar, acoustic guitar along with fiddles, harmonica, violin, etc are essential instruments in country music. Country music is the most listened genre in radio and a very popular genre in the morning commute in the United States. Old country music legends are like Don Williams, Dan Seals while the modern country singers include Blake Shelton, Lady Antebellum, Dixie Chicks, etc. Classification of Country Genre includes such as bluegrass, alternative country, country gospel, urban cowboy, country pop and many more.

Indie

Indie rock is a genre that has become very popular in the recent years. It is said that this music genre originated in the United Kingdom in the 1980s. The artists of this genre are independent, meaning to say it is not produced by major record label. The term ‘indie rock’ is associated with artists and bands that remained dedicated to their independent status. This music genre developed and became popular with the resurgence of the bohemian and hipster styles, which is accompanied by contemplative lyrics, mixture of traditional and electronic instruments. Famous band and artist of this genre include The Strokes, Chet Faker, The White Stripes, The Hives, etc. Later, Indie Rock is divided into many sub-genres including indie pop, space rock, post rock, sad core, math rock, etc.

There are also some more music genres like Pop Punk, Modern Rock, Emo, Jazz, R&B, Opera, Classical, Blues, etc. which have become very popular in this modern world. As already mentioned in the introductory lines, music is a vast subject. I believe a new music genre is sure to come sooner or later.